Ashes in White Silk
by Mina Flink
Summary: When Roger accepts the offer to speak with a wealthy young woman, her memory fragments reveal a not so distant future that ends with Roger. R&R please.
1. On the Outside

Chapter 1: On the Outside  
  
"Master Roger, you have a call."  
  
Roger Smith looked up from his newspaper and took the phone from Norman, checking the grandfather clock. It was only 12:15 p.m.  
  
"This is Roger Smith."  
  
The voice on the other end was distinctly female. "Mr. Smith, my name is Amelia Julaine. I think it would be wise if we spoke in person. Can you meet me somewhere?"  
  
After a hesitant moment of deliberation, he replied. "Of course, Miss Julaine. Name the place."  
  
"My home should be sufficient; the address is 9750 Third Street…outside the dome."  
  
"I'll be there in an hour."  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Smith."  
  
She hung up without the social courtesy of saying good bye. Roger handed the phone back to Norman and gazed at the newspaper, thinking instead of reading the caption under the photograph of one of the domes, so constantly emblazoned across the front of the daily paper.  
  
"What is it Roger?"  
  
He looked up, noticing Dorothy had moved to his side.  
  
"Have you heard of Amelia Julaine, Dorothy?"  
  
"No I haven't, Roger."  
  
"Her father is Lawrence Julaine, one of the shareholders of the Paradigm Corporation. She's known mostly for her work with those in need and for the fact that she chooses to live outside the domes that her father populates."  
  
"Has she hired you for a negotiation?"  
  
"She only said she wanted to speak with me in person."  
  
Roger rose and pushed his chain in, heading back to his bedroom. Dorothy waited a moment, and then followed him.  
  
"Are you sure this is a wise idea?"  
  
"I'm curious why this particular young woman wants to talk to me, and can't do it over the phone."  
  
Dorothy stared at him emotionlessly until he gestured for her to leave. "If nothing else, I want to satisfy my personal curiosity about the rich woman who chooses to devote her time to other people. It's a unique quality."  
  
"You do not think she is simply attempting to gain public appeal for some other reason?"  
  
"There are easier ways to gain public appeal. I think she genuinely cares for others, thought it's strange for someone who grew up in the domes to feel that way."  
  
"This curiosity tends to get you into trouble."  
  
Roger smiled, "Most of the time."  
  
At this the android turned and walked away, leaving Roger to his shower and the dark suit Norman had set out for him during breakfast. 


	2. Appointment

Chapter 2: Appointment  
  
Large gates signaled the driveway of 9750 Third Street, the entrance opening without a sound. Roger pulled the Griffin up to the Victorian style mansion that seemed brutally out of place within the low-rent apartment buildings that were quite visible past the wrought-iron fence clearly meant to keep outsiders outside. The gate shut as silently as it had opened as he got out of the car and headed up the immaculate white steps.  
  
Roger pressed the doorbell with a gloved hand and waited, hands clasped behind his back. The double doors opened and a butler of undeterminable age stepped aside, waiting for Roger to step inside.  
  
"Miss Amelia will see you in the conservatory. Follow me, please."  
  
Roger walked inside and waited for the butler to close the door and take his place in front. As he was guided through the mansion, the negotiator was subtly impressed. The furniture and decorations were elegant but lacked the obvious opulence that came with the normal disregard that the wealthy had for money.  
  
The butler opened a set of double doors and a wave of warm, humid air rushed out. Roger followed him in, gazing at the suddenly lush jungle of hothouse flowers surrounding him.  
  
"Miss Amelia, Mr. Smith is here."  
  
It was the same voice from the phone, but more delicate now that there was no technology between her vocal cords and his ears. "Thank you Franklin, Mr. Smith, I am four rows away."  
  
Franklin nodded in the right direction and left. Roger removed his gloves as he walked down the four rows of gorgeous flowers. He found her watering a white hibiscus blossom, her thick blue-black curls falling to her waist. She stood up and turned around, the watering can in her delicately boned hands.  
  
She was wearing a plum colored sarong skirt that had a pattern of silver-gray ivy running on it. Her halter top was the same silvery-gray and covered her chest completely, a string fastening the shirt behind her neck. Roger suddenly wondered why she wasn't married. Her skin was creamy and pale, making her blue eyes brighter. Her lips were just as exquisite as the rest of her face, pale pink and set under a sculpted nose and high cheekbones.  
  
"Thank you for coming."  
  
"Anything for a lady. What can I do for you Miss Julaine?"  
  
"Walk with me, Mr. Smith."  
  
He nodded and walked with her while she continued to water the flowers.  
  
"I water them personally every other day. I think it makes them healthier to have such care."  
  
"They're beautiful, but is this relevant?"  
  
"Forgive me; I know you're a busy man. I wanted to talk to you about memory fragments."  
  
"Memory fragments are memories about the future, why would I be interested?"  
  
Amelia turned, her hands griping the watering can so tightly that her slim hands were white from blood loss.  
  
"My memories are about you Mr. Smith."  
  
Roger stared at her for a moment, and then finally replied. "Miss Julaine, how can you be sure they are about me?"  
  
"In your Mega Deus, the Big O, when it starts the screen scrolls 'In The Name of God, Ye Not Guilty', doesn't it?"  
  
Roger found himself speechless again at her overwhelmingly correct statement. He nodded a confirmation as she continued to water her plants, thankful that she was no longer staring at him with her intense, intent blue eyes.  
  
"All the memories are pertaining to the upcoming eclipse." Amelia continued.  
  
"I don't think this is a good idea, Miss Julaine."  
  
"Call me Amelia." She walked to a spigot imbedded in the floor, filling her watering can again. "Mr. Smith, these memories haunt my dreams. I need to tell someone before I can't sleep at all. I will pay you for your time, if you could just see how important this must be."  
  
"Miss Julaine…Amelia, nobody should know about the future."  
  
She finally put down her watering can and walked over to him. Roger was distracted as she moved in past the normal comfort level and took his hand in her own small ones.  
  
"Mr. Smith…"  
  
"Roger."  
  
Roger, please don't make me live like this. I can't sleep, not even during the day. These images mean something, and they won't let me rest until I do something about it."  
  
He looked down at her hands which were still clasped around his, unable to hide his own which instilled a sudden strong protective feeling in him. Roger resisted the urge to stroke her silky hair and nodded his final consent.  
  
"Thank you. I know it's warm in here, let's go into the library."  
  
"Show the way."  
  
Amelia wove in and out of the blooming greenery, reminding Roger of stories of wood sprites as he followed. She led him back into the house, where the abrupt change in temperature left goose bumps on her arms and relieved his discomfort. The butler was nowhere in sight as they walked up to a set of double doors made of dark mahogany, which he was beginning to notice was a trend in the mansion.  
  
She walked inside, inviting him in with a wave of her hand. Roger shut the door and sat down in a black leather easy chair. Amelia sat down across from him on the matching love seat and smoothed her skirt.  
  
"Whenever you're ready, Amelia."  
  
She took a deep breath and began. 


	3. Memories

Chapter 3: Memories  
  
"I can see the sun high in the sky beginning to be blocked. The solar eclipse is what starts it all. The Paradigm clocktower chimes out twelve o'clock as the sun is completely covered. The city has a glow despite the midday darkness, like the atmosphere it's self is on fire. The streets are completely empty of people, but I can see them. Something has made them go inside and fall asleep at whatever they are doing.  
  
"The ground begins to tremble under my feet and I have to hold on to a street sign to remain upright. When the sun is completely blocked and the bells have stopped ringing, the sky rips open with a purple light, and all of a sudden everything seems to freeze. The ground stops shaking and not even the papers blow around in the street.  
  
"Without warning the purple light crashes to Earth in the middle of Paradigm City and a Mega Deus appears in a conflagration of smoke and flames. It's the color of blood and radiates heat, fire burning perpetually in its massive claws, the horns on its head spiraling into the air. It is Satan himself, the Devil Mega Deus, his features angular and cruel, including fangs.  
  
"I see you approach him, your own Big O ready for battle as it always seems to be. As you fight against the Devil, I can tell how equally matched you are. You easily trade blows, and eventually come to a standstill, the Big O's hands fending off the red, burning claws.  
  
"An unexpected, subtle wind blows through the city, like someone had just opened the door to an oven. I feel my skin ready to burn in such a blast, and the Devil opens its mouth, discharging a gout of white hot flame at the face of your Mega Deus.  
  
"I watch as it melts, the entire machine becoming a puddle of liquid alloy on the ground, burning everything in its path. The Devil slowly burns away at the city, ashes floating in the sky like a gruesome parody of snow, everything becoming that powdery, gray substance eventually. I look down, and eventually even my flesh becomes like that, and everything goes white."  
  
Roger finally looked up at her, "That's quite a dream."  
  
"It's not a dream!" Amelia stood up, pushing a strand of hair away from her face. "The first time I saw this was during the day while I was wide awake. These are memories of the future, and if you don't believe me, we're all going to die the day of the eclipse."  
  
Roger looked up at the passion in her face, the extreme belief that she had in her memories. He couldn't help but be struck by the beauty in her face as she fought against his skepticism over her memories. Finally he took her hand, which melted the angry lines from her features.  
  
"I believe you, Amelia. I promise, when the time comes I will change the events which you've told me about. But only if you stop worrying about it."  
  
Her cheeks reddened slightly, "You sound concerned."  
  
"I don't like seeing such a beautiful woman so upset over something I can fix."  
  
Amelia blushed again and realized her hand was still clasped in his own and pulled away gracefully. "Thank you for understanding Roger. I won't take up any more of your time."  
  
He seemed a bit hesitant but nodded, "Thank you. I hope you'll find some rest now Amelia."  
  
"I'm certain I will. Franklin will show you out."  
  
Roger stood and shook her delicate hand, then walked out the library door. He looked down both sides of the hall and curiously wondered where the attentive butler was. He headed the way they came from the conservatory, wandering down the open halls, the temperature becoming more uncomfortable as he went. He eventually found his way back to the conservatory and found that the door was open, the steamy air that smelled of nature's perfume permeating the hallway.  
  
He stepped inside and heard a moan coming from the plants, as well as a scrap of clothing sprouting out of the greenery like an exotic blossom. Roger rushed to the particular plant and found Franklin lying on a pile of dirt, blood crusting on his forehead from a blow. The negotiator lifted the butler out of the dirt and set him up against one of the heavy terra cotta planters.  
  
"Franklin, what happened?"  
  
The butler looked up, "Men in black suits broke into the conservatory. I heard glass breaking and came to investigate."  
  
Roger opened his mouth to reply when the sound of something heavy hitting the floor interrupted him.  
  
"Miss Amelia. You must go protect her."  
  
Roger nodded and made sure the butler was steady enough to stay sitting up before he ran back down to the double doors to the library. He pushed against them, heaving when they wouldn't budge. He heard a scraping noise and could see that a bookcase had fallen against the doors. There was a sound of metal hitting against something heavy and a female cry of panic.  
  
"Amelia!" He shouted, anger welling up inside.  
  
"Roger!" Her reply was weaker than it should have been, and it gave him a surge of adreneline that helped him push the door and the bookcase further in.   
  
He could see inside, where the two men that Franklin had described had cornered Amelia behind an overstuffed chair, the poker from the fire in her hand, which she swung to keep them back. One of the men lunged for her and grabbed ahold of the metal weapon, wrenching it out of her hands while the other charged forward, catching her slim body between his head and his shoulder and slamming her back against the wall, knocking the breath from her.  
  
Roger pushed again and made enough room to get through the door, crawling over the bookcase and the fallen books. The one engaged in subduing Amelia finally lifted her over his shoulder and turned, eyeing Roger for a moment before heading for the other exit. His counterpart turned and drew a gun, sending Roger diving behind the battered couch. Shots hit the couch but were stopped by the thick leather and giant quantities of stuffing now coming out the exit holes.   
  
He picked up a book and tossed it to the left, distracting the shooter while he ran out from the right, throwing another literary missile and knocking the gun from his hand. The intruder dove for the gun but Roger had already kicked it under a pile of books and was running after Amelia. The man in black threw himself into Roger's side, knocking him to the ground and taking a swing at his face before the negotiator could bring his his hands up to block.   
  
One hit was all he got in before Roger blocked the second and fought back with a blow of his own that sent his attacker to the ground, blood flying from his mouth and nose. Roger touched the blood seeping from his lip and wiped it away on his gloves as he ran down a hallafter the other one. He found the other man in black trying to force a cloth of chloroform over Amelia's face while she struggled with all her strength to keep him from her face.   
  
Roger pulled the man off of her and sent a knee into his side, doubling him over as he dropped the chloroformed cloth. The man in black struggled under him, then lashed out suddenly with his left hand, catching Roger in the stomach. The breath was knocked from his lungs and the negotiator let go, the man fleeing the instant he was released. Amelia kneeled down next to Roger and put a supporting arm under him.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
He nodded, composing himself as quickly as he could. "Did they hurt you?"  
  
"Only my furniture. Come on, let's get that bruised lip taken care of." With an amazing amount of composure she helped him up and into the kitchen, through the library where she so very calmly walked over fresh bloodstains. 


	4. Settled

Chapter 4: Settled  
  
Roger held the ice pack to his lip while Amelia leaned against the sink, slowly draining a glass of water. He could see her hands trembling around the glass wear, both hands holding the clear crystal for fear of dropping it. They both turned to the doorway when they heard footsteps, Franklin appearing in the hall. Amelia rushed to him immediately and spoke softly into his ear, which changed his entire demeanor from struggling soldier to wounded man.   
  
She helped him into a kitchen chair and furbished another ice pack in the way of a bag of frozen peas. Franklin held it to the back of his head where a few flecks of dried blood dropped from his hair and onto his mussed white collar. Amelia stood over him like a mother hen, trying to get him into a more comfortable position before remembering that Roger was in the room.  
  
"Just sit still." Was her final order before she sat down in a third chair, her glass forgotten.  
  
"Amelia, did you recognize those men?" Roger asked, taking the ice pack from his mouth.  
  
She shook her head, "No. But I should have expected them."  
  
"What?"  
  
She entwined her fingers on the table and looked down at them. "I thought telling someone would get them off my back. Before I asked for your help I had been getting strange phone calls of someone trying to get me to tell them what my memories were about. I would always hang up, but then I started getting threatening ones as well. I tried to have them traced but each time it lead the police to a number that had been disconnected for some time. I was sure that something was going to happen soon, so I thought telling someone else would stop it or at least delay it for a while."  
  
"You were willing to let them threaten me?"   
  
"Would you really feel that threatened, Roger?"  
  
He frowned slightly at the fact that she was right. He wouldn't feel threatened, not when he could call on the power of the Mega Deus when he needed to. He finally shook his head no and she nodded slightly, massaging her temples.  
  
"I am sorry that they tried to shoot you. Money for this has already been transfered into your account, so if you want to take your leave you may."  
  
"I don't think I should leave. It seems that they would send more people after you now that they've failed once."  
  
"I have no right to put you in any more danger."  
  
Roger shook his head, "You're not asking me to stay, I'm offering. Free of charge."  
  
Amelia looked at Franklin who was still sitting at the table, his head pillowed on his hands and his makeshift ice pack on the throbbing bump forming under his hair.  
  
"Maybe just for tonight. There are plenty of guest rooms you can stay in if you want to remain that long."  
  
"I'll just sit up tonight if you don't mind. I try not to sleep on the job, even the ones I'm doing gratis."  
  
Amelia smiled softly and nodded, "Alright. Help me get Franklin up to his room now."  
  
Roger stood up and set his ice pack on the table, helping her lift the butler from the chair and walk him slowly up the staircase to the first floor and down the hall where he watched as Amelia put Franklin to bed. The scene was as touching as it was amazing to watch, the lady of the house suddenly in the opposite position, but quite unaware that she was performing a deed that no other woman of her status would have ever dreamed of doing. It was charming in it's own right and incredibly right to watch the young woman care for others.  
  
When she was finished they left and she shut the door, leaving Franklin sleeping peacefully with a bandage on his head and painkillers coursing through his bloodstream.  
  
"Does everyone get such personal service?" Roger asked, following her as she walked to the library and began to help her pick up the fallen books.  
  
"Everyone who deserves it does. And a few that don't. Why?"  
  
He shrugged, "It's nice to see someone who doesn't discriminate against people because they aren't in the same social class."  
  
"Franklin may work for me but he's also my friend. I have a feeling that it's the same way between you and your employees as well."  
  
Roger nodded, "Guilty as charged."  
  
Amelia frowned slightly as she righted an office chair. "Guilt shouldn't be a part of it."  
  
"How did you grow up inside the domes and not become the spoiled monsters the rest of the wealthy are?"   
  
She shrugged, "Luck and the help of a nanny who grew up outside the domes. She taught me that it isn't what a person can buy that counts, it's what they do to earn what they have."  
  
"She sounds like a wise woman."  
  
Amelia nodded and helped him lift the book case that had been pushed in front of the door. Together they cleaned up the library and taped off the broken conservatory window, Amelia taking care of the plants that had been damaged long after the sun set. Roger had called Norman and told him the circumstances of his absence, as well as when to expect him back the next day. When Amelia had emerged from the conservatory, Roger was sitting in the library reading quietly.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to open a guest room for you?" She asked.  
  
Roger shook his head, "I'll sit in here all night. But feel free to go to bed if you're tired."  
  
"I am feeling tired. I'm going to leave it up to you to make sure Franklin doesn't get up too early in the morning."  
  
"I'll lock him in his room if I have to."  
  
"Good to know. Good night Roger."  
  
Roger stood up and nodded slightly, "Good night Amelia."  
  
She leaned up and gave him just the slightest, most chaste kiss on the lips, her own soft skin fluttering against his mouth in a way that made him want to take her into his arms and ravage her mouth with his own. Instead she touched his cheek and left him wanting so much more that he had to hold in a groan as she left the library and walked upstairs to the master bedroom, the click of the double doors audible from where he was. It was going to be a long night. 


	5. Amarav

Chapter 5: Amarav  
  
Amelia stood in her bathroom, brushing her hair out so it didn't get too many tangles in it as she slept. She had been restless in her sleep lately and it was taking a toll on her personal grooming. She also had alternative motives, including the man sitting in her library downstairs that she had kissed. It had felt so incredibly right to be close to the warmth of that man in black, and it made her shiver ever so slightly to think about him paying her late night visit.   
  
She blushed slightly and turned off the bathroom light, her mind full of visions of Roger's strong hands sliding along the white silk of her nightgown, his eyes taking in the swell of her breasts before sliding the thin straps from her shoulders. Amelia smiled in her private fantasy and walked to her balcony doors, opening them all the way.   
  
The wind was blowing slightly, wrapping the flowing skirt of her nightgown around her legs. Her slippered feet were steady on the balcony as she walked out and immersed herself in the fragrant flower boxes that were hanging from the railing on the sides of the stone balcony. The balcony was designed so that the front had no railings, but large pillars that connected the floor to the house it's self, holding it tight to the master bedroom.  
  
Amelia braced her hands between two of the smooth, white stone pillars and leaned forward just slightly so she was looking down four stories to the garden at the back of the house. She closed her eyes and felt the wind blow against her face, pushing her hair back as she let it take her breath away for just a moment, relishing the feeling.   
  
Eventually she leaned back making sure she was firmly on the balcony before taking her hands from the pillars. Amelia turned around and barely stifled a cry as she immediately spotted a dark figure lurking in the shadows between her bedroom and the balcony. The figure was tall and muscled, without any distinct features without any light shining on him.  
  
"Good evening Miss Julaine."  
  
Amelia felt the cold stone of the pillar press against her back, reminding her that she was trapped. "Who are you?"  
  
He bowed, a mocking gesture no matter how noble he tried to make it. "Amarav, at your service. Do come inside, it's getting far too chilly for that nightgown, and I would hate to know that you caught your death of cold because of me."  
  
Amelia remained where she was until he moved backwards, deeper into the shadows except for his right arm, which glinted strangely in the soft light coming from the lamps around her bed. She walked in cautiously, wondering what kind of scream she would be able to get out before the stranger attacked and choked the air from her throat.  
  
"Please don't think about screaming for help. Mr. Smith is no match for me, and I would be forced to hurt you. Sit down."  
  
She moved past him, taking shuffling side steps to keep her eyes on Amarav at all times. He chuckled deep in his throat as she sat down on the end of the bed, a sound that made her heart pound with fear. He stepped into the light and her heart impossibly picked up the pace, hammering against her sternum to the point where she feared she would have a heart attack.  
  
Amarav was close to seven feet tall, his angular face set with hard lines, his eyes the pale blue only seen in the sky on the coldest of winter mornings. His left hand hung at his side while his right was obviously an android part and matched his pasty, unnatural skin tone. His brown hair was shaved on the sides and the bottom, the rest long and pulled back in a ponytail.  
  
He moved forward and it was all she could do to keep from scrambling completely onto the bed as he squatted down in front of her, his human hand touching her knee.  
  
"I was whole once, you know. But I had an accident when I was working construction for the Paradigm Corporation and my body was almost torn in half. When I woke up, I had been put back together using prosthetic parts, and now the right side of my body, including that side of my face, is machinery."  
  
Amarav took her hand and brought it to his right cheek, pressing it against the skin so hard that the metal forced her to bend her fingers. Amelia tried to pull her hand away and found it held tighter than before.  
  
"I owe my life to Alex Rosewater. He had me rebuilt in a way that made me twice the man I once was. You'll have to understand that what I do isn't because I harbor any ill feelings towards you."  
  
The words sunk in before Amelia saw his android hand slide out of his pocket and wrap around her throat, his body rising as she slid backwards on the bed. His hand followed her and he loomed over her, his left hand joining the right as they slowly cut off her air.  
  
She screamed with the last breath she had and felt her head pound with sudden pressure before the room faded to black. 


	6. Kidnapped

Chapter 6: Kidnapped  
  
Roger dropped his book as the feminine cry invaded the library. He ran out of the room and took the stairs two at a time until he slammed into Amelia's doors, throwing them open, one flying off the hinges with his effort. A giant of a man was hovering over her form on the bed in a grotesque parody of a romantic rendezvous. Her body was motionless and the stranger was removing his hands from her throat, pushing a strand of hair away from her face.  
  
Anger and fear swelled inside Roger until he was ready to resort to physical violence against the lummox that had turned his head to see who had burst into the room.   
  
"Mr. Smith, I was assuming you would join us once Miss Julaine felt the need to vocalize her fear. If you stay out of my way I promise that you won't die tonight."  
  
"A tempting offer but I can't let you hurt her."  
  
"She won't be hurt; I just needed to incapacitate her for the moment while I transport her somewhere else. Now please leave."  
  
"Get off of her now."  
  
Amarav sighed and got off the bed with an amazing amount of grace for someone so large. He removed his long coat and draped it over Amelia, who remained unconscious on the bed. Under the coat his chest was bare, showing the line down the center where he had been put back together with half an android body. He stalked forward in an amazingly relaxed way.  
  
"My name is Amarav, and I applaud your foolish bravery Mr. Smith. If I wasn't under previous orders I would let you live out of respect."  
  
Roger picked up the chair that sat in front of an old fashioned cherry vanity, swinging it without warning. Amarav chuckled in his throat again as the chair splintered against his chest, sending fragments of wood around the room. The negotiator pushed back his sleeve and opened his mouth to call for the aid of his Mega Deus and was cut short by Amarav.  
  
The giant man hand made his right hand into a fist and used it to send Roger flying across the room with a fist in his stomach. He came crashing down into the old vanity, sending even more splinters and pieces of wood flying around the room. When the dust settled Amarav waited for some kind of movement from Roger. When the negotiator didn't move, he turned back to Amelia, who was still on the bed.  
  
He scooped her up, coat and all into his arms and walked out onto the balcony. He found a slice of wood from the chair lying on the stone balcony floor and scraped a couple of words into the piece of rubble. If the negotiator woke up in time he would have a chance to stop Rosewater, Amarav owed him that much. The fight had not been fair, but time was of the essence, and he had a deadline to keep.  
  
With Amelia tucked securely into his arms, he tossed the wood onto the bed, the leapt from between the pillars of the balcony, landing easily on his feet on the sidewalk.  
  
There was a van waiting in the street for him, the windows painted over so nobody could see inside. He laid Amelia in the back, her head pillowed by a blanket and got in the driver's seat. He pulled away from the house, checking over his shoulder constantly to make sure she was still asleep.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Amelia rubbed her eyes as she woke up, her throat painfully raw. She moved to reach for the glass of water she always kept next to her bed and the memories of what had happened returned to her. Her eyes flew open and she gazed up, finding Amarav looking down at her.  
  
"Welcome back to the land of the living." He said, offering her a glass of water.  
  
She refused to take it from his massive hands. He shrugged and set it down on the ground next to her. Amelia realized that she had been sleeping on a pile of blankets, one of which had been drawn over her. As she drank she looked around where she was, recognizing the gear works of the Paradigm clock tower. The sun was shining in through the clock face, shrouding a man in shadows. Alex Rosewater turned around and smiled at her like a benevolent god in the presence of his beloved people.  
  
"Miss Julaine, I'm glad to see that Amarav's method, though crude and efficient, did not harm you in any permanent way."  
  
She put a hand to her bruised throat, "Why am I here?"  
  
"Do guess..."  
  
"The memory fragments."  
  
Rosewater nodded, "I would appreciate hearing all you know."  
  
Amelia shook her head, "I won't."  
  
Rosewater sighed and turned away. "Amarav.."  
  
The giant man reached down and lifted Amelia from the pile of blankets and tossed her to the floor, her head hitting the ground. He loomed over her as she blinked furiously, trying to clear the fuzziness from her vision, and reached for her again. 


	7. Fall

Chapter 7: Fall  
  
Amelia scrambled to her feet and dazedly ran from Amarav, climbing a pair of stacked crates and making her way into the rafters. Rosewater turned back to them and held up a hand, which stopped the giant from crawling after her.  
  
"I see that you don't like the way Amarav treats you when you won't cooperate. All I want is to know what you know about The Devil Mega Deus and you can go home to your little mansion of guilty wealth. Be reasonable girl, I don't want to make him truly hurt you, but I can and he will."  
  
She looked up at the gears above her that were turning slowly, the perfect motions deliberate and precise for keeping time. There was a small window with a door in front of it on the catwalk that led to the ledge outside. Amelia shook her head and started climbing the ladder over her head to the catwalk.  
  
Rosewater looked at Amarav. "Bring her back here, but don't hurt her too badly. It might take time if she has to be coerced, and breaking a limb all at once might simply silence her."  
  
Amarav nodded and climbed after her, his pace slow but steady. Amelia made it to the catwalk and saw Amarav following her, his bulky body already heading for the ladder she had just climbed. She yanked at the little door, almost crying in frustration as it wouldn't budge for her. She tried again, pulling harder, the rusting iron handle cutting into her hands as she refused to give up, the wood squeaking in protest.   
  
Amelia almost laughed in relief as the door finally flew open, spreading dust and dirt everywhere as she felt the warm sun on her face. She felt the wind blow against her legs and fear suddenly coursed through her, making her stomach ache. The catwalk shook and without looking she knew Amarav was coming to get her. Without letting another thought dominate her mind she stepped out onto the ledge, the wind pummeling her, trying to pull her off the tower.  
  
She held onto the building, her body pressed against it as she inched along the narrow ledge. She saw Amarav follow her out, his fingers making holes in the mortar holding the bricks together. Amelia refused to look down over her shoulder, knowing she wouldn't have the courage to go on if she did. She made it to the corner of the building before she got a glimpse of what was 44 stories below her.  
  
Her arms started to quiver as she held onto the building, her forehead pressed against the rough bricks.  
  
She knew she couldn't tell them what was going to happen if Roger didn't change how he fought The Devil. Rosewater was notorious for using the memory fragments for personal gain whenever he could, and the idea that he would use Roger's death made her even more sick. Amarav continued to gain on her, his long arm starting to reach out for her with every step he took along the ledge.  
  
"Come back Miss Julaine, where are you going to go?"  
  
He got closer with each step, his fingers reaching out for her, his hands ready to drag her back into the clock tower where Rosewater would have her bones broken one at a time until she spewed out everything she knew, or worse.  
  
"You have my personal promise that you will not be harmed if you simply tell us what we want to know."  
  
Amelia shook her head and held onto the building, the only option she could think of currently terrifying her. Amarav continued to move closer and closer again, and he would reach her in less that three more steps, and she would be at Rosewater's mercy.  
  
The large fingers reached for her again, and she made up her mind, her heart aching as she did. Amarav took another step and as he reached for her wrist she let go of the building, falling backwards off the the ledge, the wind racing under her as she fell the 44 floors to the ground below. 


	8. The Clock Strikes Twelve

Chapter 8: The Clock Strikes Twelve  
  
Roger grunted as he woke up. The sun was shining in the open balcony doors and the clock on Amelia's night table said it was almost noon. He got up and looked at the sky, the moon clearly visible near the sun, waiting for the Earth to rotate just a bit more so it could take it's place in the sky and relish in it's rare midday glory.  
  
He looked at the room for some sign of the giant that had assaulted and kidnapped Amelia, his head aching as he gazed over the bed, one slab of wood catching his eye. He picked it up and immediately read the blockish, scratched in writing from Amarav. It was an address, it didn't say to what, but he was sure that the half android was inviting him to a rematch, this time with the Big O on his side.  
  
Roger yanked back his sleeve and called on his Mega Deus, which appeared outside of the mansion, tearing up the street. He ran down the steps and outside, where he got into the Big O and made his way across the city.   
  
The address that had been his only clue was burned into his mind, enveloped in his mind to try and pinpoint where he was going, instead of just showing up like some pizza delivery boy. That might get Amelia hurt if not killed. The address was so familiar, and as he headed towards the business district it suddenly occurred to him where he had to go.  
  
The clock tower rose above the other buildings by at least four stories excluding the domes. It was supposed to be the tallest building in the city so everyone could always have a focal point of where they were, though nobody could get lost when they never left the city. Roger pointed the Mega Deus in the right direction and cleared people from the streets as he took up both lanes.  
  
As he got closer Roger could see what time it was clearly, including two people actually on the ledge under the gigantic time piece. Amelia was one of them, hugging the corner for dear life as Amarav slowly chased after her, his fingers simply digging into the building to make sure he didn't fall off the narrow ledge that accommodated her small feet better than his own large ones.  
  
Amarav got close enough to touch Amelia and she let go of the building, willing to fall to her death than betray what she knew. Roger moved the Big O forward so quickly that it went down on one knee, both hands rising up to catch Amelia as gently as they could. She fell into their cupped safety and Roger straightened the Mega Deus, opening the helm so that he could walk out and get her.  
  
Amelia didn't expect the ground to come so soon as she felt her body impact against something hard. The breath was knocked from her lungs and she wondered if the entire absence of extreme pain was what it felt like to have every bone in your body crushed just before you died. The footsteps didn't surprise her, but the hands lifting her up into a pair of strong arms covered in a rumple, dirty black suit made her wonder and try to move her head.  
  
She looked up and found herself staring into Roger's concerned eyes, surprised again that she could move any part of her body.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked, holding her a bit closer than he needed to.  
  
She nodded just to make sure her neck wasn't broken. "I think so."  
  
"What were you doing?"  
  
"Rosewater is inside the clock tower. He's the one who's been behind everything, the threats, the attacks, Amarav. I couldn't give up what I knew, they would have used it against you."  
  
Roger shook his head as he walked back to the controls of the Big O. "I would rather you tell them everything you know and be safe than see you dead."  
  
Amelia smiled softly and reached up to brush away the hair that had fallen on his forehead, the carefully combed locks now as disheveled as the rest of his clothing. Roger ducked into the control center when the clock tower began to chime. Amelia looked up and trembled slightly in his arms as the tolls went by, slowly making their way to twelve. The sky began to darken, and they both looked up as Roger set her down, the moon blocking the sun from view. The air began to tingle around them, and the people in the streets mechanically walked into the buildings around them, no matter what they were, most visible through glass store fronts. They had fallen asleep where they were. 


	9. The Devil Himself

Chapter 9: The Devil Himself  
  
Roger sat in the control seat of the Big O and closed the helm, encompassing Amelia and himself in metal armor a thousand times too large. The clock finished it's chiming and everything became deathly silent, as if Amelia and Roger, the only people awake in Paradigm City, had gone deaf. The air crackled with electricity and Amelia watched as her memories came to life, the ground trembling as flashes of purple and black light swam in the clouds.  
  
The silence prevailed again and the strange colored illuminations slammed into the ground, making the city shake in its very foundations. The ground split open and The Devil, the Mega Deus that had haunted her dreams came from the bowels of the Earth, ready to wreak Armageddon on Paradigm City. Roger moved the Big O forward, ready to meet the other Mega Deus head on. He knew that Amelia was still in the Big O with him, but it was better than leaving her on the street where she could get stepped on or burned to a crisp. At least he could protect her while she was with him, no matter how dangerous it was.  
  
The Devil pulled it's self from the hole it had made in the ground and immediately spotted the challenger approaching. It moved forward in lumbering, slow steps while the fires within began to ignite, ready to do as much damage as possible. Roger thought through what Amelia had told him and tried to read the Mega Deus's moves before they were made.   
  
He knew they were pretty evenly matched from what she saw, but the question of what it did at the end to finish him was still hanging over his head. Unless he could do something to counter the attack then everyone would die. It wasn't time for Paradigm City to end, not as long as he was around.  
  
The Devil made the first attack, its claw aiming right for the Big O's head.   
  
Roger blocked it by raising the large forearm and taking the opening to send a punch into his opponent's midsection. The Devil reeled backwards, stepping back to gain its footing. Roger pushed forward, changing the Big O's right arm into the high-powered gun, firing relentlessly on the other Mega Deus.  
  
It reeled again, holding up both arms to block the barrage of fire power coming at it, trying to protect something in its chest area. Roger stopped firing simply to get a better look at what it was protecting so carefully that it would take the hits to keep from getting it damaged. The giant, crimson forearms came down and Roger could see some sort of crystal plate among the hot metal, embedded deeply in the thing's armor.  
  
Roger moved the Big O forward and tried to punch the crystal plate. The Devil caught his fist with its own, doing the same to the other and bringing them to the standstill Amelia had seen before. Roger flipped open the top of his right control and pressed the button, sending the piston in the elbow into action and blowing The Devil's right arm completely off.   
  
Roger used his now free arm to grab the other Mega Deus by the neck and lift it slightly into the air, holding it still while it's left arm tried to fire some kind of attack at him. The crystal plate began to glow and Roger felt his body grow feverish to the point where he was sweating. Amelia stood up, sweat on her brow as well as she touched his shoulder with a shaky hand.  
  
"That's it, the crystal is what keeps it burning."  
  
Roger nodded and made the left hand of the Big O into a fist, which he jammed against the crystal plate. The heat got more intense as he fired the piston again, shattering the crystal plate and blowing a hole in The Devil.  
  
The crimson Mega Deus fell to the ground in a heap and began flaking away in ashes, covering the city in a gray snowstorm that would be irritating to clean up. The heat that had been plaguing Roger and Amelia subsided and the city came back to life, the people in the buildings coming out to witness the eclipse and the strange ash covering their world. 


	10. Ashes in White Silk

Chapter 10: Ashes in White Silk  
  
The sound of police sirens in the distance filled the air as Roger helped Amelia from the Big O and sent the Mega Deus back underground until the next time it was needed. Roger held her in his arms a bit tighter than was necessary to keep her upright, but as she was wrapping her arms around him as well and pressing against his chest instead of complaining or pulling away, he didn't feel uncomfortable.  
  
The sirens shrieked louder and came into view around the largest pile of ashes that had once been The Devil. Police officers leapt out of cars and instantly began questioning bystanders and searching the area for someone to blame for the entire disruption. Amelia looked up and brushed a stray ash out of Roger's hair.  
  
"You did it. You stopped the world from ending."  
  
"I might have had a little help on that."  
  
"Well, at least one person will thank you for what you've done."  
  
"And which person would that be?"  
  
Amelia smiled, "I'm sure Franklin will be very thankful."  
  
Roger held her tighter and kissed the top of her head in what suddenly seemed a very natural thing to do. In the very small amount of time he had known her she had somehow become a permanent resident of his feelings. Some day he would have to figure out some way to tell her exactly how he felt about her. Some day when she wasn't in her pajamas, watching the police sift through knee-deep piles of robot ash.  
  
"I don't suppose the police could do anything if I told them Rosewater had me kidnapped?" Amelia suddenly asked, eyeing one police detective who wasn't doing much of anything.  
  
"He would find some way to worm out of it. Besides, there's no proof that Amarav was working for Rosewater, and he's the one that actually kidnapped you."  
  
Amelia sighed in agreement. "I know. But it would be nice to nail that bastard for what he's done."  
  
Roger smiled, slightly amused at her uncharacteristic use of profanity that completely echoed his own feelings. He stroked her hair gently and watched as the side door to the clock tower opened. Amarav walked out, his heavy coat back in place as he silently stalked towards the entwined people.   
  
Roger let go of Amelia and stepped in front of her protectively, leaving her to watch from just behind his shoulder. Amarav reached inside his coat and removed a revolver, aiming directly at Roger's head as he approached, motioning for the both of them to move away from the police and the enormous amount of witnesses present.  
  
Roger remained in front of Amelia as they were backed into an alley between two brick buildings, the stench of the dumpsters against the dead end making Amelia cough into her hands. Amarav pulled back the hammer on the revolver and kept a steady aim at them both.  
  
"I am sorry it has to be this way. It is not honorable to simply shoot you, I would have liked to finish our fight in a fair manner, but Rosewater has given his orders. He doesn't want any witnesses to put him in the spotlight, and since there are two, one being quite the honorable member of society, he would be in trouble. I do regret having to renege on my word of your safety Miss Julaine, but I owe him my life."  
  
Amelia's hands tightened on Roger's arm and he flicked his wrist slightly, revealing his wrist communicator. If he could simply call for the Big O now it should work.   
  
"Big..."  
  
His call for help was interrupted by the sound of a gun shot and the momentum of being pushed aside. Roger hit the ground hard on his left side and looked up to the smoking barrel of Amarav's gun.   
  
"Police! Drop your weapon!"  
  
The hovering authorities must have heard the gunshot and were now blocking the only way out of the alley. Amarav shrugged and turned, aiming the gun at the police. They fired, his human half dying before the android half, the prosthetic arm grasping aimlessly as his brain died. Roger sat up and looked for Amelia standing somewhere against one of the walls.   
  
His mouth went dry when he spotted her lying in a heap on the ground. Unconscious of how undignified it was, he crawled to her on his knees, turning her over and almost crying as he saw the blood staining the front of her nightgown, spreading like a dark crimson halo around the bullet wound that had ripped a large hole in the white silk just below her chest.  
  
"Are you okay?" She asked, her chest heaving to fill a collapsed lung.  
  
"Fine." Roger looked over his shoulder, "I need an ambulance!"  
  
Amelia smiled slightly, "I was afraid...he would have shot you before help could come."  
  
"Amarav is dead, the police shot him."  
  
"I guess this part of my memories is right...I am going to fade into ash. That's why the memories stop where they do."  
  
Roger shook his head, "No, help is coming. You'll be fine."  
  
"Hold me tighter."  
  
Roger lifted her up slightly, pressing her against his chest, her blood staining his white shirt and dripping slowly on his hands.   
  
"I wish we would have had...more time together."  
  
Roger looked over his shoulder to see if there was help coming and turned back to her, "We'll have plenty of time once you're taken care of."  
  
Amelia closed her eyes, "Tell me what we would do."  
  
"First I think we'd have to go to dinner and the theater, just so the society column has something to print."  
  
She smiled weakly, "What else?"  
  
"Maybe a picnic on the shore, just before sunset so we could watch it together."  
  
"What would it look like, Roger?"  
  
Roger looked up, remembering what he had seen at the shore before, "The sun would slowly sink into the sea, setting it on fire in a way so calm that nothing else in nature could comprehend it."  
  
Amelia shuddered in his arms, and he felt her chest rise and fall for the last time as he held her. Roger was stricken with the burning pain in his heart that he had just lost something precious, something that he would never find again. An ambulance pulled up and the emergency medical technicians got out, pulling Roger away and setting up a defribulator.   
  
The negotiator walked away as he heard them pronounce her dead at 12:22 pm, the exact time that the moon moved away from the sun for another fifty-six years. 


	11. Epilogue

Chapter 11: Epilogue  
  
Roger stood next to the grave with a dozen roses in his arms. Franklin was carrying flowers as well as the other six hundred people that had shown up for the funeral of Paradigm City's most beloved philanthropist. There were people weeping as the priest said the final blessing and tossed a handful of dirt into the grave. Roger handed one elderly woman his handkerchief and waited silently behind his mirrored sunglasses.  
  
Hours went by before everyone left and the caretakers filled in the grave, but he waited patiently for the moment alone with her. Roger set the roses on the fresh grave and kneeled next to it, touching the white marbel grave marker that was decorated with the statue of a woman sporting a pair of feathered angel wings. A pang of fresh grief stung his heart, and he found his eyes getting moist as the face of the statue resembled the beautiful woman that had so quickly entered then left his life.  
  
He finally stood up as his watch chimed five pm. He wanted to go to the sea shore, he had a sunset to watch for Amelia. 


End file.
